Breaking Walls
by lizziepie30
Summary: Something's wrong. Teela wants to hide it, but Adam is determined to know what it is. This causes a change in their relationship that no one else saw coming.
1. Chapter 1

I just made an account to share this idea I had for a story. I hope some of you will find this interesting. Let me know what you think!

**Breaking Walls**

A single tear. That was the only hint at the emotion that hid just beyond the surface. A single tear that glistened as the bright Eternian sun shined on her face after her torturous escape from Snake Mountain. A single tear that she wiped away so no one could see how much this had affected her. A single tear that she could never shed again.

* * *

He-Man piloted the Wind Raider, but he was hardly paying attention to what he was doing. Something was wrong. He didn't know what, but Teela wasn't acting like herself and it frightened him severely. He had tried to talk to her earlier. As soon as Battlecat had let out his enormous roar that shattered Snake Mountains' eerie silence, she had screamed until he had found her chained to the wall in an almost empty room. As soon as he had broken her free, she had fallen into his arms, hugging him desperately.

When she had finally pulled herself together and he had questioned if she were all right, she had straightened her posture, said she was fine, and then walked away. She hadn't spoken a word since. It was so unlike her. She had been in dire situations before. Skeletor and Evil Lyn had captured her before, but never had she ever acted like this afterward. Never.

"Teela, what's wrong?" he asked softly. He had asked that question several times and still he got the same reply.

"I'm fine, He-Man. Just a little shaken, that's all."

Not knowing what else to do as He-Man, he remained quiet. If she wouldn't talk to He-Man, maybe she would talk to her father or perhaps even Adam.

* * *

As soon as they arrived in Eternos and landed safely, Teela pulled on her mask of indifference. She wore it daily as Captain of the Royal Guard. She used it to treat every soldier equally. She didn't want to show favoritism. Now she used it as protection. She didn't want her father or anyone else to see. She didn't want them to know.

Stepping out of the aircraft, Teela said loudly, "Thank you for the rescue, He-Man. You always show up just in the nick of time." She tried her best to smile brightly at the hero, but she didn't know if she had done a good job. He-Man stared at her worriedly and began to walk towards her.

When he reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, she stated forcibly, "I'm fine, He-Man. Stop worrying. You saved me. Nothing catastrophic occurred."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and smiled again. "Now, if you would excuse me. I need to find Adam. I want to make sure he's okay." She stopped herself from running into the palace. She had to act normal. She just had to.

* * *

Adam sat on his bed and wondered what he should do. He had just changed back into his true self after jumping into his room through the window. Teela had stated earlier that she was going to look for him, so he had wanted to give her the opportunity to find him as soon as possible. Only now, he wasn't too sure if she had stated the truth. It had been five minutes since she had left He-Man, and normally her first place to look for him was his bedroom. Had she lied? If so, should he look for her? Or, did she need some space? Not knowing what to do, he decided to simply leave his room. If he saw her, he would approach her and if he didn't, then he wouldn't.

Opening his door and stepping into the hall, he was surprised to see Teela opening her bedroom door.

It seemed as though the Ancients wanted him to do something, so he complied.

"Teela, you're back," he said gratefully. He approached her slowly and flashed her a genuine smile. "Are you okay?"

Teela had turned away from her door to look at him and he was surprised. Her face contorted into several different expressions. At first, her eyes had widened in shock. Clearly, she hadn't expected him to be there. Then, her face became expressionless, and now she was fighting to hold that look in place. The only problem was her eyes showed an unbearable pain and they were tearing up.

"Teela?" he questioned worriedly. He reached out a hand towards her and she stepped back abruptly.

It broke his heart. Something was definitely wrong.

But before he could do anything or question her, her demeanor changed. She slouched almost as if some kind of metaphysical weight were pushing down her. Quickly, faster than his eyes could process, she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around him. She sobbed against his chest and literally cried.

He squeezed her tightly and bent his head to rest his cheek against hers. "It's okay, Teela. It's okay," he whispered as she started sniffling. She was trying to pull herself together. She was probably embarrassed and wanted to put back on her façade that everything was fine, but he wasn't going to let her.

He pulled back slightly and tried to look at her face, but she wouldn't let him. She turned her head to the side. Quickly, he kept an arm around her waist as he escorted her to his bedroom. Opening the door, he led them inside and walked her to the bed. They both sat down and he faced her.

"Teela, tell me what happened," he said. "What's wrong?"

The room fell into silence. He waited patiently, but it didn't do any good. Within a minute, she shook her head despite her shaking body and whispered, "Nothing, Adam. I'm sorry that I broke down like that. I don't know why I did. I guess my adrenaline is still flowing from the fight. Nothing happened. Nothing."

Determinedly, he pulled her back into his arms and whispered, "Don't lie to me, Teela. If you don't want to talk about it right now, we won't, but don't lie to me. Let me be here for you."

Teela tucked her head under his chin and then in a barely audible whisper said, "Can you just hold me for now and not talk, Adam? Please?"

He nodded slowly. "I'll do whatever you need." He scooted back on his bed and tugged her along with him. He rested his back against the bedframe and she cuddled to his side. He held her tightly and was resolved to stay there all day if he had to. He was determined to be there for her and he was going to find out what happened. He had to.


	2. Chapter 2

I would have responded to the commenters privately, but the website doesn't allow new members to send messages for a twenty-four period, so I apologize that I have to do it here. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I'm so glad you find this idea interesting. Thanks to everyone who has simply read, as well. Continue to tell me what you think, please!

**Breaking Walls Chapter 2**

A gentle stroke of her back was all that was needed to break the fragile hold she had on her emotions. As soon as Adam had scooted back in his bed and gathered her into his arms, she fell apart. Of course, she hid the fact well by once again tucking her head under his chin so he wouldn't be able to see her face.

Silent tears slipped down her cheeks and she didn't wipe them away or draw in a shaky breath to make the flow stop. She knew he would know, then. If that occurred, the questions would start and she didn't know if she could answer them right now. She didn't want to.

Tightening her arms around Adam and feeling him do the same to her, she simply tried to clear her mind. She didn't want to think or even feel anything. She simply wanted to lie there and forget about the world.

* * *

He knew she was crying and it was tearing him up inside. He wanted to know what had happened; he needed to know.

Had Skeletor hurt her? He felt a blinding rage that threatened to bubble to the surface, but he stopped the reaction. Right now he knew he needed to be gentle with her. He had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to deal with his emotions, so he held onto them as tightly as he could. Turning his head slightly, he rested his cheek on the crown of her head and closed his eyes.

"Remember when we were kids, Teela?" he questioned. He startled himself just as much as he had startled her. Neither had expected him to speak.

"Of course," he heard her reply softly after a slight hesitation.

He looked around the room even though he didn't move. His eyes settled on a picture that he kept on his bookcase. It was of them alongside Man-At-Arms: all three of them were dressed out in brown mountain-climbing gear with shiny black boots. Teela and he were probably around eight-years-old at the time, and because they were both being silly and Teela had dared him to do it, they had their hair in ponytails. Unfortunately, because of the length of his haircut, his had been falling out and it had given him a slightly disheveled appearance. Regardless, Teela had loved the picture, so he had, too, and kept it. At the time it had been taken, they had just arrived back to Eternos from one of their camping trips. He remembered being so excited, because they had seen their first wild saber cat.

Pulling Teela closer into his arms, he recalled another time that would be more beneficial to the moment they were in now. He whispered, "Remember when Duke Baskel's son was picking on me and you threw your textbook at him and it hit him in the face?" He smiled at the memory.

Teela wiped at her cheeks. "Yeah, I do. It had been a gut reaction. I saw him push you several times and you were simply taking it since he was so much bigger and you didn't want to ruin your father's treaty with the duke. I got so mad! The book was flying out of my hands before it even registered what I was doing."

He chuckled lightly. "It knocked him out cold for several minutes. When he woke up, he supposedly had no idea what had happened. Personally, I think he knew or at the very least, he thought that I had hit him. If that were the case, obviously he wouldn't want to tell anyone that a supposedly spoiled rich kid or a girl had taken him down."

He was relieved to hear Teela laugh a little in response. "There had been an inquiry later since he had developed a rather nasty black eye as a result, but he never told. And, neither did you, even when your father had questioned you directly."

He kissed the crown of her head and mumbled, "Why would I? We always had each other's back when things got tough." He felt her nod slightly and he closed his eyes, preparing to bring this discussion to its point. "I never told any of your secrets, then. Just like I wouldn't now. I hope you know that, Teela." He waited patiently to hear her response.

* * *

Teela stiffened and arched her back instinctively as she waited for Adam to continue speaking. She knew any second he would once again question what had happened to her and she didn't know how she would react. Part of her wanted to be mad at him for pushing her, but another part of her wanted to tell him desperately.

All she really wanted to do, though, was simply lie in his arms and talk of the past, which was far more pleasant. Biting her lip briefly, she admitted, "I do know that, Adam." After a moment's hesitation, she mumbled, "Do you remember the time when we were trying to play that game your mother had told us about? Baseball or something? Remember when I hit a rock through one of the museum windows?"

Adam laughed loudly. "Yes, your father was so angry, because it had also cracked the glass around one of the exhibits! What was it?"

"A rare mineral found only in the Dark Hemisphere, I think. Father was so worried that the air might seep inside the case and destroy it. You took the blame and wouldn't let me fess up even when I tried."

"Well, I knew I wouldn't get in as much trouble."

She lifted her head to stare at him. "I seem to remember you being grounded for a week since you knew Earth games tended to be a little rough and you were only allowed to play them outside of Eternos."

He shrugged and admitted, "Well, I was the one who convinced you to play with me, so it should have been me who received the punishment. I only ensured that the correct person was punished."

She rested her head on his shoulder again and mumbled, "We do take good care of each other, don't we?"

"Yes, we do."

She bit her lip again and then whispered, "I'm not ready to talk about it, yet, Adam. I don't know if I'll ever be."

Adam placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face upward gently. When he peered into her eyes, he replied, "But that means something did happen. Teela, I'm not trying to push you. The last thing I would ever want is for you to feel cornered or bullied into doing something you didn't want to do, but I have to ask."

She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look into his intense gaze.

"Did Skeletor or Evil Lyn hurt you somehow?"

Quickly, Teela moved Adam's hand out from under her chin by forcing her head back down. She cradled herself under his chin once more and practically crawled into his lap when she wrapped both of her arms around him. She shook her head but didn't speak a word.

"Teela?" he questioned. After a few more seconds of waiting, he cried, "Please say something!"

* * *

She didn't say another word, but she did reply in several other ways. Her actions were proof enough and there were now tears dropping onto his collarbone that she was trying desperately to hide. He gritted his teeth as he tightened his hold on her. He saw red and was nearly overwhelmed with fury.


	3. Chapter 3

I would like to apologize for not getting a chapter out sooner. I will admit I got absorbed in reading fan fiction on this site! I can only hope this story will be just as good as others on this webpage. My favorites list will be filling up soon with He-Man stories in the near future! I can already tell, hehe! Thanks for the recent reviews and people putting me and my story on their lists!

**Breaking Walls Chapter 3**

His vision was blurred, he was seeing red, and he could hardly breathe.

Adam was nearly overwhelmed by the pure fury he felt at that moment. There was no denying the truth now: Skeletor or Evil Lyn had hurt Teela. He held a tenuous grip on his reaction to that news and his response was nearly seeping to the surface. He had the intense desire to turn into He-Man and show Skeletor how to inflict true pain…

But he knew he couldn't do it. Not because he was Eternia's Champion. Not because he found he was this selfless, morally-right guy. No, instead, he couldn't do it, because he didn't want to leave Teela. Not right now. Not while she was so vulnerable and obviously in need of comfort.

He tried to keep his body relaxed and his strokes up and down her back gentle. He couldn't let her see the murderous thoughts that were running rampant in his mind.

The main thing that scared him the most at the moment—aside from the notions of what might have happened to her—was the fact that he didn't know what he'd do once Teela left. When he was alone, when he no longer had a reason to hide his true feelings, how would he react? What would stop him seeking vengeance? He honestly didn't think he could do it on his own this time! And the notion was frightening!

Luckily, he didn't have to contemplate that future anymore, because Teela spoke unexpectedly. "I don't want to talk about it right now, Adam. I just want to forget."

He tightened his hold and dropped his lips to the crown of her head. He held it there for a few seconds before shaking it softly. Lifting a trembling hand, he simply stroked her cheekbone with his thumb silently.

* * *

Teela saw his shaking hand as it approached her face. Looking at his wrist that was slightly under her nose, she saw its redness and knew he was angry. She had only seen him in such a state a few times throughout their lives and it had never been pretty. In those times, she had never been entirely sure what he would do.

Her mind drifted to a time when Adam had gotten so angry at a visiting nobleman's son named Makilith. At the time, Teela had been about fourteen and Adam had been thirteen. Makilith had been fifteen. The first transgression that the boy had committed was to continuously pick on poor Cringer. Several times, he had scared the cat while he was sleeping and had actually tried to catch him and tie him up by his feet, among other things. These incidents occurred almost all day long and each time, Adam had stopped them and warned Makilith to leave his pet alone. Eventually, Adam had gotten fed up and took Cringer to his bedroom to keep him away from the troublemaker's reach.

Of course that didn't faze Makilith; he didn't care. He moved onto bigger prey, namely her. Instead of pulling on Cringer's tail, since he could no longer do that, he had decided pulling on her dress and trying to flip it up was his new favorite pastime. His actions had simply gotten on her nerves. She told him to stop several times, but he didn't. Around that time, Adam had nearly gone mad with rage.

She didn't think it was because Makilith had gotten on her nerves. Rather, she believed it was an accumulation of things: first, he wouldn't leave Cringer alone; second, he ignored Adam's protests at his antics; and then, he started acting obnoxiously to her! She didn't know what she had been expecting, but when Makilith ran by and flipped her dress up in the courtyard that afternoon, she hadn't expected Adam to grit his teeth and ball up his fist in a clear sign of anger. She had watch in shock as Adam followed the boy around with his eyes until he had settled at a table. Then, her friend had taken several deliberate steps in his direction. She knew in that moment that he had every intention of knocking some common decency into the boy, and she knew she had to stop him! Not only had she not known if Adam would win or not, she hadn't been sure how her father or his would react if they had gotten into a skirmish. So, she ran in front of him and said is name continuously.

"Adam! Adam! He's not worth it! Just relax and ignore him! Just a couple of more hours and he'll be gone!"

Adam only continued to glare at Makilith as she spoke to him, and to this day, she believed the only thing that stopped a fight that day was the fact that their fathers had come up into the courtyard after they had reached an agreement on whatever they had been discussing that day…

Now that a similar moment was here, she hardly knew what to do to calm him down when she wasn't really all that calm herself. Breathing deeply, she mumbled, "I'm okay, Adam, really. I know you're mad, but everything's going to be okay. It is."

She knew she sounded like she was trying to convince herself, and maybe she was.

Adam must have had similar thoughts, because her words only riled him up more. He tensed, so she lifted her head to look at him. His eyes, as well as his skin, was red, and it looked like he was grinding his teeth back and forth. "I want to kill him," he stated when their eyes met. "I don't know what he's done, but I know it must be bad for you to act like this. The desire to go to Snake Mountain and _kill_ him is…" He shook his head as he let out a breath he had been holding slowly.

She noticed then that Adam's entire body was shaking, not just his hands. He really was trying to hold himself together!

She knew at that moment that if she actually did tell Adam the truth, he would have his hands around Skeletor's throat by morning…


	4. Chapter 4

I'm sorry that I haven't updated before now and that my chapters are so short. I'm in college so I try to update when I have time and I need to break away from reality. I am so grateful that you are reading this story and giving me feedback. I appreciate it. I hope you like this chapter too!

**Breaking Walls Chapter 4**

She knew she had to say something, something that would calm and comfort him. Only, she didn't know what the right words would be. So, she decided to tell him what she needed. "Adam, I can't have you running off to Snake Mountain and getting yourself killed. That would kill me. What I need from you right now is to stay and hold me. Okay?"

Their eyes were still locked onto one another. Adam opened his mouth slightly and breathed in a tremendous amount of air. His shoulders visibly relaxed and he mumbled, "I can do that."

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as she tightened her hold around his waist. She was glad that she had least calmed the raging fire she had seen in his eyes at least for now. "Good," she whispered.

She then yawned and Adam said softly, "Go to sleep, Teela. I'll watch over you."

She was surprised that she had never felt safer in her life than after she had heard those words.

* * *

Adam had never been in such a paradox before. His emotions were all over the place. On the one hand, he wanted to kill Skeletor. The rage and hatred he was feeling was nearly overwhelming. He wanted to show the villain just how much of a threat He-Man could really be to his very existence at that moment, but he also felt extremely happy.

Teela was here in his arms and confiding in him. Yes, she didn't tell him everything that had happened yet, but she had told him a lot more than she had told He-Man. She was seeking comfort from Prince Adam, not Eternia's Champion and he was in awe of that fact. She wanted _him_ to hold her as she slept. It was amazing to know that she trusted Adam with her emotions more deeply than she did He-Man. Despite this, he was determined to know even more. He would find out what happened at Snake Mountain, and then, Skeletor would pay.

He looked down at Teela as she slept with her head resting on his shoulder. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. He leaned down with his neck and kissed her forehead softly.

He was not prepared for the response he received.

* * *

Teela opened her eyes and saw that she was in Snake Mountain. Had it all been a dream? Had He-Man really not rescued her and she had merely dreamed that she had fallen asleep in Adam's arms?

"No," she whispered to herself as tears swelled in her eyes.

Suddenly, she could hear a door open slightly to her left. She turned her head and saw a light breaking into the darkness of the room. She frowned but refused to cry out. Maybe whoever it was would go away and leave her alone if she didn't entertain them in any way.

No such luck.

Skeletor stepped in front of her and said, "My, my, Captain Teela. No greeting after everything we shared earlier."

"We shared nothing!" she spat. She had wanted to stay calm and not give him any reason to want to stay, but she couldn't control herself. "Let me go!"

Skeletor reached out a finger and brushed his sharp, black fingernail against her cheek. It was done hard enough to allow her to feel pain but not so hard that it would break the skin. He laughed and replied, "I don't think so. I must admit I haven't had such a good time with a prisoner in a long time. I don't know why I haven't thought of this before!"

She had to admit it—she didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before either. In the not so long ago past, Skeletor had never been the kind of villain to torture his victims. Yes, he put them in dungeons. Yes, he would enslave them. But NEVER had he put her through anything like this before and he had captured her several times in the past.

An involuntary gasp escaped her throat as he raked his finger down her sides and attached his entire hand to her hip. She struggled to get away from him but the cold, hard wall prevented her from doing so. When Skeletor kissed her on the forehead, she screamed like a banshee and suddenly one of her hands were free. She immediately grabbed onto Skeletor's neck and flipped him onto the wall beside her. She quickly brought her hand up to punch him right in the face when she heard a familiar voice.

* * *

"Teela! Teela! IT'S ME! ADAM!"

Adam watched the craze look in her eyes recede and knew when common sense and awareness had entered them once more. He breathed deeply and whispered soothingly, "It's okay, Teela. You're safe. You're with me."

He watched as she looked around the room and then at him. He saw a blush creep along her skin and settle darkly on her cheeks. "Adam! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.

He smiled comfortingly. He didn't want her to feel guilty about the situation they were now in. He was laying down flat on the bed on the opposite side of where he had been earlier and she was straddling his waist! She had been moments away from punching him, so he was glad he had broken through her dream and whatever nightmare she had been having.

"It's okay," he repeated.

He watched as she looked around the room again and then stared into his eyes. "This isn't a dream, is it? I'm really here. I'm not in Snake Mountain anymore, right? This is reality."

Now, he was worried. He knew then that she must have dreamed about whatever had happened earlier. He lifted his hand to her cheek and answered firmly, "Yes, this is reality. You're here in the Royal Palace and safe with me." He rubbed his thumb across her cheek softly.

"Are you sure?"

He couldn't tell if she were serious or not, so he gave a response that could go either way. "Yes. Do you want me to pinch you to prove it?"

He grew silent as he watched her eyes search his questioningly. She then raked her eyes from his wrist, down his arm, and back to his eyes. "I have a better idea," she mumbled. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his softly.

Adam widened his eyes as her lips touched his for the first time. A warmth spread from the places they touched. Within moments, his entire body was on fire. He wrapped his arms around her and held onto her tightly. He couldn't believe this was happening.

When she suddenly pulled back and stared at his face, she mumbled with an extremely red face, "Okay, so this isn't a dream."


End file.
